Designer’s email: alreillygator@yahoo.com

After I have knit or crocheted something I always save any and all leftover yarn, no matter how much is left over. I always tell myself its good to save these leftovers in case something I made needs to be mended. But to be honest, I have never, not even once, had to mend something I made. This means that the little balls of yarn keep piling up in my yarn stash, making it appear that I have more “usable” yarn then I really do. I try to find small projects for these little balls of scrap yarn and these Flowers in Bloom not only make quick AND easy projects, but also make great gifts too!

This pattern calls for making flower hair clips but you can just as easily make each flower into a pin to wear, a flower bow for a gift topper, a charm for a necklace, or even a set of interchangeable flowers to put on a purse. You can attach a wooden dowel to the back of each flower and “plant” several yarn flowers in a flower pot making a lovely yarn bloom. The sky is the limit really on what you can use them for!

Start today and make them as teacher gifts, shower gifts, party favors, and small stocking stuffers. This is a quick way to use up some stash yarn creating room for future yarn purchases.

This pattern is a: Crochet Pattern

Skill Level: Easy

Credits: Photographer Alison Reilly, Model Ms. Letoya

Materials:

Yarn and Hooks:

It doesn’t really matter what yarn you use. I like to stick to sport or worsted weight (since that is what I usually have in my stash) but you can play with whatever is leftover in your stash. Just make sure to use the suggested hook size for your yarn and you’ll be good to go (if you crochet on the tight side, I’d suggest going one hook size up)!

Single Purple Crochet Flower (Large - As modeled by Letoya): Coats and Clark, TLC Amore (265meters/170gms), 80% Acrylic / 20% Nylon, #3534 Plum, I hook

Single Blue/Green Crochet Flower (Large): South West Trading Company, Twize (110meters/100gms), 100% Bamboo, #325 Twue, J hook

Single Pink Crochet Flower (Small): Caron, Simply Soft Brites, (157yards/85gms), 100% Acrylic, #2604 Watermelon, I hook

Notions and Accessories:

Tapestry Needle Your choice: hair clip, pin backing, wooden dowel, etc. Your choice: yarn or thread to sew it onto the above, or a hot glue gun to glue it

This is the hair clip used in the example.

Finished Product Measurements:

Varies according to what type of yarn is used

Pattern Stitch:

Crochet: You need to know how to make a chain, double and single crochet

Gauge: Varies according to what type of yarn is used

Pattern:

Small Crochet Flower: Smaller Flower Ch 41 Row 1: DC in 4th ch from hook, *ch1, skip 1 ch, (dc-ch1-dc) in next ch* repeat from * all the way across to end – Turn In row 2 you are going to make your crochet stitches in the space itself and NOT through the chain that was made by the previous row. This will make it so that you crochet over the top chain made by the previous row making for a bulky second row.	Above picture shows Row 1 in progress.
	Above picture shows Row 2 in progress. Notice how each stitch is being crocheted into the hole itself and not the chain stitch.
Row 2: Ch4 (counts as a dc), 4 dc in first space, *sc in next ch1 space, 5 sc in next ch-1 space,* repeat. Fasten off and cut yarn leaving a foot long tail. Using the long tail of yarn that is left attached to crocheted work, thread your tapestry needle. Roll the finished crocheted work (starting with the end that has the tail attached) around itself forming a flower that is rolled closer together on the inside getting larger as you continue to roll. Using the tail, secure the flower by sewing through the layers of the flower, tacking as may leaves down as your so desire. (If you use wool and plan to felt this flower, make sure to tack the leaves down well as they will shift in the wash.) Sew in all ends.
Large Crochet Flower: Ch 51 Row 1: DC in 4th ch from hook, *ch1, skip 1 ch, (dc-ch1-dc) in next ch* repeat from * all the way across to end – Turn In row 2 you are going to make your crochet stitches in the space itself and NOT through the chain that was made by the previous row. This will make it so that you crochet over the top chain made by the previous row making for a bulky second row. Row 2: Ch4 (counts as a dc), 5 dc in first space, *sc in next ch1 space, 6 sc in next ch-1 space,* repeat. Fasten off and cut yarn leaving a foot long tail.
Using the long tail of yarn that is left attached to crocheted work, thread your tapestry needle. Roll the finished crocheted work (starting with the end that has the tail attached) around itself forming a flower that is rolled closer together on the inside getting larger as you continue to roll. Using the tail, secure the flower by sewing through the layers of the flower, tacking as may leaves down as your so desire. (If you use wool and plan to felt this flower, make sure to tack the leaves down well as they will shift in the wash.) Sew in all ends.

Using a hair clip, pin backing, or wooden dowel, secure your flower using yarn or sewing thread (by sewing it on) or a hot glue gun.

Meet the Designer:

Alison has been addicted to knitting for over two years now and has crocheted since she was a teenager. She even got married under a crocheted chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) that she and her husband made together. Alison resides in Georgia with her husband and two dogs, Orange and Blue. While she crafts up a storm her husband and dogs are each still waiting for her to knit them sweaters, which she is sure she’ll make, someday.